The Spinal Cord Injury Knowledge Mobilization Network (SCI KMN) requires a fluid organizational structure to ensure that optimal communication between each of the 6 sites is maintained and uniform Best Practice Implementation occurs across all sites as efficiently as possible.

Each of the 6 rehabilitation sites in the network has a site lead – a member of the Network Leadership Team (NLT). The NLT is responsible for strategic planning and co-ordination of activities across the SCI KMN. The NLT is chaired by the Network Lead who also sits on all of the sub-committees that have been established to execute the various facets of best practice implementation. The ubiquitous role of the Network Lead ensures that fluid co-ordination and communication between each team, the site leads and their respective site across the SCI KMN occurs. Sub-Committees include the Knowledge Dissemination Team (KDT), Knowledge Mobilization Specialist Team (KMST), Evaluation and Data Management Team (EDMT).

The SCI KMN structure is effectively designed so all committees support each of the six Site Implementation Teams (SITs). These teams are composed of multiple stakeholders and front line staff at each site doing the hands-on work to effect change!

The SCI KMN has adopted 4 values that are key components of our work:

VALUES

DESCRIPTION

Patient-Centred Practice

Patient perspective:

Patients gain greater control over their health and this may reflect emotional/behavioural, evironmental, social, or developmental components of health care

Provider (practice) perspective:

Ensuring that the patient's needs and values are understood, respected, and addressed within their care.

Decision making guided by the best available evidence and including practitioner expertise, needs, and environmental and organizational context.

Individuals within the SCI KMN gain greater control of the implementation process.

The key to the success of the SCI KMN is collaboration. By joining forces, sites have the ability to pool resources, share knowledge and expertise, and work together to accomplish implementation of best practices and customizing their efforts in their SCI rehab facilities. Since the network is spread over such a large geographical distance (between 3 provinces and different time zones), we need to be innovative in achieving collaboration and effective communication using virtual technology. The online collaboration platform, SharePoint allows all members and committees to participate in content creation, subject discussions, information sharing and archiving, and knowledge distribution together in virtual space, 24/7.